Nintendo announced the Series 5 amiibo that were specially made for Animal Crossing: New Horizons toward the end of its October 2021 Animal Crossing Direct. Series 5 includes 48 new cards, showcasing both new renders of NPCs in New Horizons as well as new villagers introduced in the 2.0 update. Previous series were 100 cards, so collecting less than half of that will be a lot easier than before. If you're interested in collecting, here's how you can get started!
Animal Crossing amiibo What are they for?
Series 5 released on Nov. 5, 2021, alongside the free 2.0 update and the Happy Home Paradise paid DLC. Players can use amiibo cards at the Photopia facility on Harvey's Island to call villagers and NPCs to the Roost Café located in the museum, to build vacation homes in the Happy Home Paradise archipelago, and to invite villagers to their island's campsite.
Animal Crossing amiibo How many come in a pack?
Although there are 48 cards in the new series, packs of cards sold in North America include six cards. Those sold in Europe and Japan include three. No matter where you buy genuine Series 5 amiibo cards from, one card will be a holographic NPC card, while the rest are matte villager cards.
The cards in each pack are randomly selected. You will have to keep purchasing these packs until you collect all 48. Or, alternatively, you can find the complete pack of 48 cards through a third-party, such as Amazon, but be wary of homemade cards.
Animal Crossing amiibo How much do they cost?
Each pack of six cards costs $6. So far, pages have gone live at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Nintendo's site. While pages may not always have stock, we'll keep you updated when restocks happen. You can also buy the complete mini 48-card pack on sites such as the aforementioned Amazon for a much higher price point.
But note that they aren't true amiibo cards; they are third-party NFC cards that have the same function as amiibos. Prices for these complete packs seem to start at around $49. Again, before purchasing, be sure to read up on homemade cards.
Animal Crossing amiibo Which games are they compatible with?
Source: Nintendo (screenshot)
It's worth noting that Series 5 Animal Crossing amiibo cards will not work with Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on the Nintendo 3DS, or Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival on the Wii U. They can only be used in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Scanning incompatible amiibo cards into a game that doesn't support them could cause your game to crash and/or save data to be corrupted. Only use this series of amiibo with Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch.
Animal Crossing amiibo Can I buy homemade cards?
If you're purchasing amiibo cards on the secondhand market, be wary of people who may be selling homemade amiibo cards, which are usually printed on PVC plastic in the shape of an amiibo card and include an NFC chip containing the amiibo data for your respective villager.
While homemade amiibo will technically work on your island, you don't want to fall for a scam where you pay scalper prices for something that isn't even genuine. After all, some amiibo can be quite expensive to purchase secondhand, so you want to make the best purchase always.
Collect them all
Animal Crossing amiibo cards are a great way to enhance your gameplay. And if you're a collector by nature, it's fun to keep purchasing packs until you collect them all! Keep checking retailers' sites to see when they restock, or purchase them all in one shot via a third-party site. Just be wary of homemade cards that come with scalper prices. Otherwise, enjoy your new collection!
Bring your island to life with amiibo!
The fifth series of Animal Crossing amiibo cards is finally here! Use these cards to invite villagers and NPCs like Isabelle onto various spots of your island. Hang out with friends or invite villagers to move to your island! These cards are sure to enrich any Animal Crossing experience.
